Ōtautahi | Christchurch Summer School
Week Intensive
Stone Setting
11 - 15 January 2027, 10am - 4.30pm
Discover the art of securely and beautifully setting gemstones in this five-day Summer School intensive with experienced jeweller and tutor Debbie Bishop.
Starts Jan 11, 2027
From 815 New Zealand dollarsLoading availability...
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Our Summer School workshops are about slowing down, asking questions, experimenting, making mistakes, and developing lasting skills. They're designed for people who want to invest in their creative practice - not just leave with another finished project.
Stone setting is one of the most rewarding (and often most challenging) skills in jewellery making. It requires patience, precision and an understanding of how metal and stone work together.
Throughout this immersive week you'll build confidence in a range of traditional stone-setting techniques while developing the practical skills needed to achieve clean, secure and professional results.
Working with a selection of cabochons and faceted stones, you'll explore a variety of setting styles including bezel (cabochon) settings, tube settings, flush (burr) settings and claw settings. As your understanding grows, you'll gain insight into when each technique is most appropriate, how to prepare settings accurately, and how thoughtful planning leads to stronger, more refined jewellery.
A generous materials pack is included, with additional metals and materials available to purchase if you wish to expand your projects or explore further ideas. Students will be provided with Cubic Zirconias and inexpensive cabochons, and are encouraged to bring their own gems if they wish to.
With many years of teaching experience, Debbie creates a supportive learning environment that encourages careful observation, skill development and individual progress.
Through demonstrations, hands-on practice and plenty of guidance, you'll have the opportunity to refine your techniques, ask questions and develop confidence working with both stones and precious metals.
Whether you're looking to expand your jewellery-making skills, improve your existing setting techniques, or gain the confidence to start incorporating gemstones into your own designs, this Summer School offers the time and space to immerse yourself in one of the most satisfying areas of jewellery fabrication.
Held at Workspace Studios in Christchurch, this Summer School includes a generous materials pack, with additional stones and metals available to purchase should you wish to extend your projects or continue experimenting throughout the week.
Suitable for: Jewellers and makers with basic jewellery-making experience who are ready to develop their stone-setting skills. Enthusiastic beginners are also welcome.
Our website asks for full payment on enrolment (Afterpay is available at checkout), but we are also offering payment plans for those who need to pay over time. Please contact us to arrange this.
This is the general structure for the week. The actual plan may vary depending on how many students enrol and what their individual skill levels are.
Monday
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Introductions, Health and Safety
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Discussions on the different types of setting we will be learning, and the types and properties of gemstones.
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Cabochon Stone Setting - we will start from the beginning of this type of setting, and those who have done it before will be challenged to create a multi stone setting, an unusually shaped stone or adding decorative elements.
Tuesday
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Introducing Tube Setting and Shelf Setting in the morning. In the afternoon we will introduce Claw Setting and Basket Setting.
Wednesday
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Burr aka Flush Setting - this setting requires a fresh pair of eyes so it's definitely best done first thing in the morning! Students can continue to practice this and/or their other settings.
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In the afternoon we will start looking at planning for the last 2 days and discussing with each student what they would like to do with the remaining time.
Thursday
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Bench Day - students will continue working on their individual projects with plenty of help as required.
Friday
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Bench Day
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At 3.30pm we will finish making for the week, and spend the final 30 minutes looking at all the pieces produced during the week while enjoying afternoon tea together. Students are welcome to bring friends or whānau to this part of Summer School.










